Term limits under assault in some cities

WASHINGTON, Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Political term limits, more than a decade after their introduction to many local and state governments, are being challenged in some U.S. cities.

Efforts are underway to repeal term limits in New York City; Tacoma, Wash.; State College, Pa.; San Antonio and other places where they were instituted in the 1990s, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

Critics say term limits hinder political leaders' ability to gain a firm grasp on the many moving parts of government before being forced to move on and encourage short-term gains over long-term planning.

"It has been an unmitigated disaster for the city," Phil Hardberger, the departing mayor of San Antonio, told the Times. "The learning curve of how city government works and how to get things done is steep but when you keep putting people in and throwing them out, there is very little accountability."

But terms limits are popular among voters and opposition is mostly coming from the politicians they were designed to eliminate, supporters say. They note that 37 governors, 15 state legislatures and nine of the country's 10 biggest cities face term limits.

Several recent ballot initiatives to change the laws have failed, the newspaper said.